Mount Pleasant set its all time record low of 17 degrees below zero on January 21, 1985, and winters since then have brought snow, ice and power outages. A pipe does not flood a house while it is frozen. The water shows up when the ice melts and the split starts to run.
Key takeaways
- Mount Pleasant's all time record low is 17 degrees below zero, set on January 21, 1985, according to the National Weather Service.
- A major winter storm left 3 inches of snow near Mount Pleasant on January 15, 2024, and on January 27, 2024 the City announced emergency water conservation amid weather related challenges to its potable water supply.
- More than 12,000 Maury County customers lost power on January 25, 2026 as ice downed trees, and a house that loses power often loses its heat.
- Freeze splits usually sit in garages, attics and outside walls, and they show up as running water when the thaw begins.
- The first move at a split is the main shutoff, then photographs, then a call to a burst pipe cleanup crew.
How a hard freeze splits a pipe
Water expands as it turns to ice. In a closed length of pipe, a plug of ice pushes the remaining water against a shut faucet or a fitting, and the pressure splits the pipe or pops the joint.
The split often goes unnoticed while the pipe is still frozen, because the ice plugs the crack. When the thaw starts, the water runs through it at full supply pressure.
Splits cluster where cold air reaches a pipe that the heating does not warm:
- Garages: supply pipes and water heater connections in unheated space
- Attics: pipes and fittings above the insulation, where cold air reaches them
- Outside walls: pipe in a wall cavity with little insulation between it and the cold
- Exterior faucets and the pipe behind them, especially when a hose stays connected
Signs a pipe is frozen but not yet split
A tap that runs slowly or not at all in freezing weather, frost on a visible pipe or a pipe that looks swollen points to ice inside.
Open the faucet and warm the pipe slowly with a hair dryer or warm towels, never an open flame. Water that runs at full flow with no drips or wet spots along the pipe is a good sign, while a hiss, a drip or a wet spot means the pipe split.
What Mount Pleasant's winters have delivered
Mount Pleasant has a record of hard cold and winter storms, though none of these storms is tied to a confirmed burst pipe in the city. The list below shows how often the weather turns serious for plumbing.
- January 1, 1964: a single day snowfall record of 15 inches, shared with Columbia.
- January 21, 1985: the all time record low of 17 degrees below zero.
- December 22 to 27, 2022: a severe winter storm that led to a federal disaster declaration including Maury County.
- January 14 to 15, 2024: a major winter storm, with 3 inches of snow recorded near Mount Pleasant on January 15.
- January 22 to 27, 2026: heavy ice in Maury County, more than 12,000 customers without power on January 25 and a federal disaster declaration that included the county.
When the power and the heat go out
Ice storms bring down trees and power cables, and a house without power can lose its heat. A house that stays cold for days leaves pipes in outside walls, attics and garages well below freezing.
Cold weather can strain the water supply too. On January 27, 2024, Mount Pleasant announced emergency water conservation amid weather related challenges to its potable water supply system, and bottled water was handed out at the Mount Pleasant Community Center on Gray Lane.
When the heat will be out for a long stretch, open the cabinet doors on outside walls and let a faucet drip. Some owners also close the main shutoff and open the lowest faucet to drain the pipes, so a split cannot flood the house, and a plumber can explain what that does to the water heater.
If a pipe does split anyway, burst pipe water damage crews pump out the water and open the wet walls and ceilings.
Before the cold comes
A short checklist done in autumn costs far less than a flooded ceiling in January.
- Find the main shutoff and test that it turns.
- Disconnect garden hoses and cover exterior faucets.
- Open cabinet doors on outside walls so warm air reaches the pipes.
- Seal gaps in the garage and the attic where cold air reaches supply pipes.
- Keep the thermostat steady, even when the house is empty.
- Let a faucet fed by an exposed pipe drip a little on the coldest nights.
When the thaw shows a split
A ceiling stain, the sound of running water with every tap closed or a wet spot on a wall during a thaw are the usual signs of a split. About 1,212 of the city's 2,491 housing units were built before 1980, so the walls and ceilings hiding a split are often older construction that has to be opened.
Four steps come first:
- Shut the main: Close the main shutoff, then open a faucet to drain what is left in the pipes.
- Cut power: Switch off breakers for wet areas, and stay out from under a bulging ceiling.
- Photograph: Record the split, the wet areas and the contents before anything is moved.
- Call a plumber and a restoration company: One repairs the pipe, the other removes the water and dries the structure, and both can work at once.
Who does what
The plumber closes the leak, and the frozen pipe water damage crew handles the water, the wet materials and the drying that follow a freeze split.
What the cleanup involves and what insurance asks
Water from a split supply pipe is clean water at first, the easiest kind to dry if it is caught early. The drying team extracts it, opens wet walls and ceilings where readings show water, and dries the framing with air movers and LGR dehumidifiers.
Insulation soaked in a wall or an attic comes out, and flooring that cannot dry in place is lifted. A homeowners policy generally covers a sudden burst, though some policies expect reasonable steps against freezing, so the checklist and the photographs matter.
A crew handling water damage restoration in Mount Pleasant follows the same order as one handling frozen pipe water damage in Spring Hill: shutoff, extraction, opening, drying and final readings.
Questions
What is the lowest temperature Mount Pleasant has recorded?
17 degrees below zero, set on January 21, 1985, according to the National Weather Service.
Do pipes burst while they are frozen?
They usually split while frozen, but the water only runs once the ice melts. That is why the damage often shows up during the thaw.
Should faucets drip during a hard freeze?
A slow drip on a faucet fed by an exposed pipe keeps water moving and relieves pressure, and it is a common precaution on the coldest nights. It does not replace insulating pipes or keeping the heat on.
What if the heat is out for days?
Open cabinet doors on outside walls, keep a faucet dripping, and consider closing the main shutoff and draining the pipes so a split cannot flood the house. A plumber can advise on the water heater.
Does homeowners insurance cover a burst pipe?
A sudden burst is generally covered, while damage from neglect or from a house left unheated may not be. Read the policy and keep photographs and receipts.